1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to automatic doors. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mechanism for allowing an immediate locking to occur on movable doors or other types of equipment where one wishes to stop the movement of the equipment substantially instantaneously.
2. General Background of the Invention
There are many industries which would benefit by a system whereby a piece of equipment could be automatically locked upon the locked and rendered immobile by merely throwing a switch. For example, in the automatic door industry, it would be beneficial that doors which slide or swing open and closed in an automatic fashion, have the ability to be locked through, for example, an electrical engagement of a switch so that the door cannot be opened any further. In other industries, for example, industries which utilize turning rotating members such as saw blades, rather than allow an unpowered saw blade to continue to rotate due to the inertia involved with the blades movement, it would be beneficial to have a system whereby the blade would instantaneously stop rotation upon the throwing of the switch. One can imagine how helpful this would be if one were to have one's clothing caught in the blade or even a body part which is being threatened by the blade, rather than hope that the blade stops from its free rotation, that the blade immediately cease rotation upon throwing of a safety switch.
The present invention, seeks to solve that problem by providing a system which can be as positioned as part of a powered unit, whereby upon electronically engaging the system, the power to the unit is immediately ceased and the unit is engaged in the locked position, whether it be a door or other type of equipment where instantaneous stoppage of the equipment is beneficial.